Gotta Catch Her Heart
by Sailor Latias
Summary: [Hiatus] Battling and competing in contests, earning gym badges and meeting new friends, Anna of Arendelle couldn't be more excited to start her journey. She's in it for everything! For Elsa, her baby sister's safety always comes first. To hell with her own desires.
1. Surprise, Surprise

There are some days when children play so hard they simply fall wherever they must. The surface for their slumber matters little, for when they next open their eyes, their bedroom walls greet them good morning and they're ready to begin the cycle all over again. Then there are days where, through no fault of theirs, they're ready for bed in every sense of the word, but sleep refuses to come.

Five-year-old Anna couldn't sleep, but this wasn't anything new.

The little girl's reasons for still being awake at this ungodly hour went way beyond bedtime stories, glasses of water, Muks under her bed, or even going to the potty in the dark. No, she was far too excited to be afraid, and her older sister, eight-year-old Elsa, knew exactly the reason why. Truth be told, she, too, was excited for what was to come, for their parents had promised them an extra-special surprise come morning. Unfortunately for her, Anna wouldn't let the matter drop and kept running her mouth all throughout the night.

"Psst!" came the whisper from the other side of the nursery for what seemed to be the twentieth time that night, "Psst, Elsa!"

"Anna, go to sleep..." Elsa mumbled, rolling over and adjusting her head so the tail of her blonde braid didn't poke her backside, "If you don't sleep, you'll be cranky later, and Papa doesn't like it when you get cranky."

"What do you think the surprise is? Do you think it's chocolate? Are we gonna go to the petting zoo? Do you think Punzel's staying over again?"

Letting out a little groan at the flurry of questions, Elsa slowly opened her eyes, sat up, yawned and stretched. She dared to look at her alarm clock (well, she never used the 'alarm' part of it, actually) and internally groaned when the numbers 2:12am flashed at her in bold green letters. Setting that aside, the child turned to stare in front of her where Anna sat on her own bed, across the room. Her sister was playing with her favorite rag doll (custom-made by their mother to look like Elsa) and making it 'walk' along the edge of her bed.

At least she knew how to play quietly, even if she never liked to do it much.

Letting the silence hang, Elsa waited for Anna to notice she was officially up. When she did, the redhead's entire face lit up and she quickly hopped off her bed, abandoning her Elsa doll in favor of the real thing. She ran to the side closest to the window and held out her arms in wait for her sister to receive her. The blonde's bed was a little too big for her to climb up by herself, but she wanted her out of it, pulling and tugging at Elsa's arms when the latter tried to pick her up. Seeing what Anna was trying to do, Elsa withdrew and scooted away from the edge, even folding her arms the way Papa did when he was getting cross with his daughters.

"El-saaa!" Anna whined, clenching her fists at her sides and stomping her little feet on the carpeted floor. The sound reverberated throughout the house. "Come down! Let's go downstairs and see if we can find the surprise!"

The elder girl heaved a sigh. "Mama and Papa said they'd give it to us in the morning, and when is morning, Anna?"

"Morning is RIGHT NOW!"

"Sshh!" Elsa hissed, pointer finger to her lips, "No, morning is when the sun's up and the sun isn't up right now!" Her reasoning was met with an insolent stomp she was sure her parents heard and Anna's best pouty face. "C'mon, Anna, be good. If you're not good, Mama and Papa won't give it to us, and we'll probably have to wait even lon—" Her eyes widened when the little girl's face crumpled and a long, high-pitched whimper escaped Anna's lips. She gasped. "Oh no, Anna, I'm sorry, don't cry!" Thinking quickly, Elsa kicked away her covers and hopped off her bed, wrapping her arms around Anna's neck, cradling her head and planting little kisses everywhere she could just as her sister began to sob.

Anna wriggled defiantly in her grasp, swinging her fists in all directions to try to push Elsa away, but the blonde refused to move. She coughed through her crying when Elsa patted her back and settled completely when her sister began to rub her hair, throwing her arms around the older girl's waist.

"No more! I don't wanna wait 'nymore!" the child wailed. Anything else she said was muffled by burying her face into the blonde's nightdress. Kissing the top of her head, Elsa decided against responding to any of it lest she misheard anything and upset Anna even more, settling for occasionally reassuring Anna that she was okay, Elsa was right there. She didn't need anything else upsetting her baby sister on top of that. It was too late, and being the younger one Anna was probably more tired, Elsa told herself. This tantrum was bound to happen eventually no matter what.

After a little while, when her sister's intense cries dulled down to sniffles and the occasional hiccup, the front of her dress hot and heavy, Elsa began again, keeping her voice even and tone gentle. "Anna, are you tired?" Face still buried in her nightie Anna nodded. "Do you want me to sleep with you?" Another nod. "Okay, let's go to sleep together. Do you want to sleep in my bed or do you want yours?"

"I want Elsa's..." Anna sniffled, grabbing at the fabric of Elsa's dress and cuddling closer.

The blonde chuckled, gently prying Anna's hands off the back of her gown. "Silly, I have to get in my bed first to help you." Before she went about doing so, Elsa tilted her sister's chin up to get a better look at the damage. Anna's teal eyes were red-rimmed, puffy and shining with fresh tears, but Elsa knew the worst of the fit already passed. So she licked her thumb and wiped the tracks, gave her sister a reassuring smile and climbed back into bed. Anna didn't resist her efforts this time and let herself be picked up; instead, once Elsa tucked her in she stuck her thumb in her mouth and stared up at her sister cutely.

Elsa didn't have the heart to scold her. Anna would break the habit in time, she had faith she would.

"Does Anna want to know what Elsa thinks about the surprise?" Her sister's eyelids had begun to droop, but Anna still bobbed her head as eagerly she could manage. Elsa giggled and draped a protective arm around her. "I think... Mama and Papa are going to teach us more about starter Pokémon, and here's why: Papa wanted to start training me to one day take over the Arendelle Gym, but Mama thought he was starting too early. You were only two and I was five. He wanted to give me my first Pokémon then, but I thought it wasn't fair I got one before you did, so I told Mama that and she made him wait.

"But Papa didn't wanna wait. He was impatient, just like you are now. So one day, when you were napping and I had to play quietly, he took me into his room and asked me when I wanted to get my Pokémon, and I said when you were five like me. Then he made me do math. Five minus two is three, and five plus three is eight, so when you were five, I was going to be eight. I'm eight now, so that might be the surprise, see?"

By the time she finished her story, Anna was already fast asleep. Elsa sighed, relief washing over her. Her tongue was on fire tonight, from referring to herself in third person to forgoing her love of brevity when speaking so the five-year-old had an easier time understanding what she asked of her. Giving her sister one last kiss on the forehead, Elsa settled and pulled up the covers.

_Finally_, she could sleep.

* * *

The next morning after a late breakfast, Adgar and Idunn took their daughters to the backyard and presented them with their surprise gift: two adorable female Eevee kits, one for each girl. Elsa got the larger one, who calmly sat still upon being released from its Pokéball and looked up at her with a hesitant curiosity before smiling and offered a paw for a handshake. When she looked to see how her sister was faring with her Eevee, Anna's peals of laughter and rolling around in the grass with the smaller, but clearly more confident little creature, told Elsa much.

She carefully knelt down and let her new Pokémon's paw fall into her hand. "Hi," Elsa said softly, "Welcome to the family, Eevee."

"Anna, be careful, sweetie! Don't squeeze too tightly, dear!" their mother cried behind her. Anna giggled, but Elsa didn't see why.

"Well, Elsa?" Papa asked, taking a seat next to her. Her Eevee backed away a few steps as he lowered his body and hopped into the space between Adgar's crossed legs for a petting, cooing happily when both father and daughter obliged. "Is she to your approval? Your mother and I realized if you wanted to wait until Anna was old enough, then we would see to it to get you girls the same starter."

"Anna, do not lick her fur! That is not how human girls behave!"

"But Mama, I'm pretending to be an Eevee! I'm her mama and it's her bath time! I have to!"

"She's perfect, Papa," Elsa beamed, throwing her arms around Adgar's neck excitedly. Her Pokémon ducked underneath her. "Thank you." Elsa scooped up the little kit in her arms and nuzzled its cheek with hers before properly facing her father once more. "And, as promised, I will begin my training with you. When do we start?"

The trio took a look at Anna, her Eevee friend, and the girls' mother. Adgar and Elsa laughed at the sight of Idunn chasing Anna, Anna chasing the kit, and the kit clearly enjoying stretching its legs. At Elsa's giggling, Adgar sighed and ruffled his eldest daughter's hair with a laugh.

"Today, you girls just focus on getting to know one another. Tomorrow, we begin the first lesson."


	2. Heading Out

Since getting her Pokémon, Elsa spent more and more time with her father than she ever did before. From dawn til dusk she and her Eevee—named Zima—kept close by his side inside the Arendelle Gym with a rigorous schedule to busy their bodies and minds. At first, there was mild complaining on her part: why so early in the morning? When was lunch? When would she get to take a break and at least watch Anna play? But the more questions she asked, the more Papa shook his head in disapproval.

"We are making up for lost time, sweetheart," he would tell her, "Once you get the hang of it, these hours will go by very quickly, I assure you. Now, again!"

Papa was a Rock and Ground-type trainer, so the terrain was sturdy and rough on the feet, but Elsa hadn't the time to worry about Zima's comfort. She focused on directing her partner to tackle the horde of Geodude one after another, avoid the quick rolling Graveler that could squash her, use the layout of the battlefield to her advantage when she could. Her breath caught each time Zima failed to dodge a Graveler or when a Geodude punched her in the face. Their Sand Attacks canceled out, each side sputtering to rid their lungs of it before going at it once more. On and on it went.

They had a specific number of targets to hit; Papa kept track on a clipboard. At first it was simple: three Geodude and a Graveler. Two days later, it was all five Geodude and a Graveler. Now, she progressed to all eight: five Geodude and three Graveler. If they reached their first goal of the day and it was before noon, she and Zima earned a fifteen-minute break, which Elsa usually used to study while her father took care of his rocky friends. If the first goal was reached within the hour between eleven and noon, an early lunch Papa made himself was the reward and the entire sixty minutes was free before going back to work. Elsa usually took this time to merely check up on her mother and Anna before anything else.

The sisters never spent more than twenty minutes together anymore, and most of that time was spent at the dinner table if Elsa wasn't too exhausted. Papa's agenda and 'making up for lost time' as he put it, required a lot of discipline and hyper-concentration he somehow knew she possessed. Not only was Zima getting into shape, Elsa couldn't slack either. What if there was an earthquake and Zima was caught under rubble? If Anna? Elsa would find herself tearing up at such an idea, but she never let him see that.

Speaking of Anna, the little strawberry-blonde spent much of the first few weeks whining to their parents—specifically her father—about having her playmate stolen away. When Elsa heard, she cheekily noted karma to be the culprit. Her mother nearly dropped the Pokémon food in her laughter.

Anna was always ready to see her and literally dropped everything to run to Elsa—even her Eevee! At the sound of her yelp Anna would pause, run back to grab her while apologizing and promising never to drop her again (a promise she would go to fully keep) before running back to Elsa with her pet tucked underneath one arm and continuing where she left off. That poor little creature didn't seem too bothered by Anna's blunder, showing her forgiveness by smiling and nuzzling Anna's arm while the little girl chatted away, giving her friend the occasional scratch to its cream-colored collar.

"Have you finally picked a name for her?" the blonde asked over lunch one day. Mama decided she wanted to see her daughter and husband more often so she proposed a picnic inside the gym. Papa agreed, but after they finished eating the two of them went off in the hallway to talk, leaving their daughters with the Pokémon.

It was the first moment they shared in a while where Elsa wasn't overtly tired, having gotten used to the little tweaks in her demanding schedule. The girls looked towards their respective Eevee, and Elsa smiled proudly at the sight of Zima demonstrating how to leap from one spot to the next using the Graveler as makeshift rocks. Two Geodude helped the smaller Eevee onto one of their own.

Elsa turned back to her sister. "Anna?"

"'M gonna call her Sandwich!" Anna exclaimed, mouth full. Bread crumbs flew everywhere in Elsa's direction. Taking a page from Zima's book, she leaned to the side to avoid them. The ones she couldn't dodge, she calmly brushed away.

"Sandwich? Because you're eating a sandwich? You're naming her after a food?"

"I like sandwiches!" Anna swallowed the bite and frowned. "Is that... not allowed?" She pouted when Elsa burst into laughter. "It's not funny, Elsa! I'm bein' serious! I wanna call her Sandwich! Because you're laughing at me, I'm not changing it!"

"As long as you don't call think about calling her Elsa again, I'll call her that, too!" her sister laughed, "But if she ever got lost, I don't want to be the one running about the town with you asking the people if they've seen your Sandwich!"

Anna blinked, and after a moment, she started laughing, too. Dropping the food back on her plate, she cupped her hands to her mouth and hollered, "Eevee! I'm gonna call you Sandwich from now on, okay?! Elsa said she'd call you that, too!" Her Eevee, the newly christened Sandwich, bounced atop a Graveler, who laughed a jolly one before lowering the little mammalian animal back to the ground. Sandwich scampered into Anna's waiting arms, bushy tail wagging happily as Anna kissed her loudly on the head. Content with the scene before her, Elsa sighed as she raised her cup to her lips and sipped on her hot chocolate.

It was comforting to know her sister had at least one friend who loved her as unconditionally as she herself did. Moments like this made the grueling training with Papa worth it.

She put the cup back on its saucer and bit her lip.

She was going to be a Gym Leader someday, which meant she wouldn't be allowed to travel with Anna when the time came for her journey to begin. She had read about it in her studies and ten was much too young an age to start. Anna doesn't know how to take care of herself yet. She would be so scared, all alone in the woods or lost in caves where wild Pokémon could hurt her. Sandwich won't be at Zima's level for a long time; she can't protect Anna like Elsa could. But if she couldn't go with her, then...

Elsa jumped when a hand rested on her shoulder. Her mother sent her an apologetic glance and caressed her cheek with a finger. "Baby," she began, turning her daughter's body by the shoulders to face her. "Papa and I have something we want to tell you, and we need you to be a big girl, okay?"

Elsa nodded and straightened her posture. Being a big girl meant setting an example, even if Anna wasn't paying any attention.

* * *

At 6:30am Zima roused her awake, nudging her shoulder and licking her ear. When Elsa mumbled and rolled over, the Evolution Pokémon carefully hopped over her body and tickled the blonde's nose with the tip of her tail, fleeing to the floor when the desired effect occurred. Elsa opened an eye just in time to see her yawn while stretching.

"Morning to you, too, Zima. You're a smart girl, aren't you?" she whispered, pulling back the covers and doing the same. She went to her window and drew back one of the curtains. The sun wasn't up yet, but she didn't need it to be. Elsa knew for a fact the weather was the least of her problems today.

Anna was leaving right after breakfast, so Elsa had to hurry and prepare herself. Looking about her room for her knapsack, she went about to gather her things.

She thought back to last night and smacked herself on the forehead for being such a fool. From her perspective, dinner was usually tense enough, and she just made it worse by opening her mouth. She enjoyed the silence as much as Zima, but the storm inside her was tearing at her mind.

Drawers were violently shoved open as she reached for undergarments.

_Before she could stop herself, the words "I'm going with her," had slipped out of her mouth, and everyone stared at her. At the head of the table Papa had his wine glass stationed to drink, and on either side of him both Mama and Anna held their forks in midair with whatever was prepared on their plate. Elsa could feel the blood rushing to her face and she was sure even the Pokémon were staring at her now. Sandwich, Zima, Papa's Pupitar Kai, Mama's Chatot in the other room, absolutely everyone._

"You could've started on that conversation so much better..." Elsa mumbled, "Should've pretended this was in the same one in which Mother said you were getting a new room. You were fine then! God!" She slammed the drawers shut and went to her closet to put together a few good combinations.

_Anna couldn't stop smiling. "Really?" But then she locked eyes with Papa for a single_ moment _and tried to brush it off. "I mean, yeah, sure. I'll let you tag along!" Then, to prevent from rambling, as she was prone to do, she stuffed two large bites into her mouth, her cheeks puffing up like a Pachirisu._

_"I don't think that would be wise, Elsa," Papa said calmly after finishing his glass and handing it to Mama for a refill. "Anna is seventeen. You were right, ten is far too young for a trainer to begin her journey, but now that she has grown up a little and has some semblance of sense about her, we must let her make her own mistakes."_

_Her own mistakes, ha! Elsa glared at him, pouring all the rage she could muster into it. How dare he! If _she_ were ever to make a mistake he'd sigh and spew some anecdote about his younger days pre-Gym Leader, like she needed any more of that._

"I don't think that'd be wise, Elsa!" she mocked, making sure to keep her voice low, "Well, I don't think it's wise for me to leave Anna's fate up to chance!" Zima hopped up on the bed and watched her owner pick up a light blue blouse in her right hand and shoved it with dark jeans in her left. Elsa caught her eye through the mirror. "Zima, you trust me, right?"

_"There's nothing to worry about," he continued blindly, waving a dismissive hand at her. "There are many trainers who start late into their Pokémon journey and I bet you every chance they get to call home they take it." He looked to his youngest daughter and nodded encouragingly. "You will remember to do that, won't you? Ease your sister's worries, Anna."_

_Anna shrugged, flipping one of her signature twin braids over her shoulder. "But I wouldn't have to if she comes with me, Papa. Actually, I'd _love_ to spend my days meeting new people and Pokémon if Elsa was with me." Smiling now, Anna shyly turned away and stared at her food, poking it with her fork. "Ever since you started training her when we were kids, I've been lucky to even get a glimpse of her before bedtime... and we didn't even get to sleep in the same room anymore! Now we get to spend every night under the stars with each other? Yes, please!"_

Zima barked and nodded.

_"I have a friend who can manage the gym while I'm away if you wish not to be bothered. His name is Kristoff—Kristoff Bjorgman, and he shares my love of Ice Pokémon," Elsa piped up. "He agrees with me that I should change the gym's type to suit my preference, and the cost of renovations is only limited by what my Pokémon can create within Arendelle's boundaries. All I have to do is get my license, and that requires a trip to Arur on my part, which is where, I believe, the current Champion resides."_

_"Ooh, it does?!" Anna exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with interest. "Papa, you have to let Elsa come now! You just have to!"_

_Mama returned with Papa's wine and an extra mouth-watering plate of food. She handed him his alcohol and grabbed a knife to cut her dish. "Come now, dear. Both our little girls have to fly sometime. Elsa might be the future leader of your gym, but even she needs to leave the nest. Let her have fun, see the world." Gerda, Mama's Chatot, flew atop her owner's shoulder. "I won't have my baby locked up in a gold cage because her father doesn't want to let her go, especially after he's already agreed to let our younger daughter, who's had no training of her own whatsoever, walk right into the ocean."_

_Anna pouted and muttered as she handed her half-full plate to their mother, "I only did that once..."_

_"Leave the nest! Leave the nest!" Gerda squawked_.

Elsa sighed. "Thank you."

_Frustrated at the ambush, Papa groaned and downed his drink. "Very well, then. I'll invite Kristoff over tomorrow. But I want you girls to promise me you will stay safe and stick together. Elsa, I don't care if you end up freezing the entire town with your ice friends, you take care of your sister, understand?"_

_"Yes, Papa."_

_"And Anna?"_

_Anna leaned closer to him, absently accepting her plate back from her mother._

_"You hold on tight to Elsa's hand and don't let go, do you understand me?"_

_Anna scoffed and stabbed the newest piece of food in front of her._ "Thanks."

_Gerda squawked again. "You're welcome!"_

Zima rolled over on her back while Elsa changed. After double-checking she had all the essentials—clean clothes, extra underwear, her good hairbrush and some money she managed to take without breaking her Pikachu pokébank, it was time to collect her toothbrush, some extra tubes of toothpaste in case Anna forgot hers, and do her hair in her signature single braid.

Before she left, she took one final look at her bedroom with Zima in her arms. There was not much she cared for, despite spending a little over half her years within these four walls. Discipline made sure she did not get too attached. Besides, her real room was still with Anna, after all.

* * *

"Bye!" Anna called over her shoulder once again for the fifth time. "Don't forget to teach Gerda new words, Mama!"

Their mother's response was too quiet for Elsa's ears to pick up but she didn't mind; her sister made sure she was heard and stopped in her walk to turn around and wave again. Without looking back, the blonde kept walking and simply held up a hand before letting it fall to her side a short moment afterwards. That was her goodbye.

Anna jogged beside her to catch up. "You seem to know where we're going," she commented, grabbing Elsa's hand, perhaps hoping to ease her pace so they fell in step. "Care to tell me?"

Elsa smirked and tightened her grip on the redhead's fingers. When Papa told Anna to hold her hand, she should've known she'd take it literally. "When he was young, our father made friends with the Pokémon surrounding certain parts of Arendelle. Around the time I began to study under him, sometimes I'd come with him to pick out Zima's sparring partners. In exchange for food and polishing, the Geodude and Graveler here offered their services. So..." she drawled, swinging their arms to and fro, "I thought, since they're familiar with me, maybe it's time they officially met my baby sister."

By the time she finished talking the duo came to a small clearing, as much of one as the environment allowed, and Elsa placed a protective arm in front of Anna to stop her from walking any further. Hundreds upon thousands of boulders of all sizes but generally the same shape stood before the sisters and covered the entire surrounding area in stone and sand. They piled on top of one another like there wasn't enough room to house them all, larger rocks on the bottom and smaller ones on top. Elsa tilted her head back and breathed in the wind which whispered in their ears, a smile of sorts present and her body relaxing as she exhaled. Everything was still for the moment, quiet, until Anna gave a nervous laugh.

"So..." she began awkwardly, "Where is everyone?"

The little rocks near her feet began to move, causing the teen to gasp and backed up a step, clinging to her sister's arm. A whimper escaped the back of her throat when those little rocks began to open eyes and mouths and seemingly sprout arms and fists. The bigger boulders did the same, although it was much more menacing on them. The blonde's grin only broadened, and she gestured to the Pokémon before them in a grand sweeping motion.

"Anna of Arendelle, welcome to the Valley of the Living Rock."


	3. Rocky Beginnings

I do apologize for the italics issue in the last chapter. I was trying to integrate the flashback alongside what was happening but I guess I didn't do a good job of it, huh?

* * *

"Aptly named, this valley..." Anna muttered, looking from one Pokémon to the next and trying to avoid eye contact with each and every one. Ignoring her commentary, Elsa stepped forward and cleared her throat. A lone Geodude emerged from the crowd opposite her, lifting itself off the ground by standing on its knuckles. A terse, interrogative noise came out of its mouth, one shared by many others of its kind.

Her sister spoke again. "I-is it mad? I heard they get mad easily and blow up in your face."

Elsa smirked even though Anna couldn't see. "We only just invaded their territory, Anna; it's not like we stepped on anyone."

The Geodude spoke again, louder now, and another one hopped next to its friend to swing a fist at the girls. Behind them, a Graveler rolled over to back them up; it, too, yelled at the pair of sisters. Unfazed, Elsa took another step forward. Everyone else backed up a pace. "I am Elsa, of Arendelle," she began, her voice clear and bold.

"They don't seem very friendly, Els—"

"My father is Adgar, leader to the Arendelle Gym of which many of you spent years upon years at his side, helping him hone his skills in exchange for food and polishing." A few Graveler muttered to each other; a majority, though not all, of the Geodude kept quiet. As she now had their undivided attention, the blonde lowered her voice to normal volume. "My sister and I, daughters of the man who every one of you have given so much, and received nothing but kindness in turn, wish to see Grand Pabbie before our departure to the next town."

The Pokémon seemed to consider this idea, murmuring vaguely amongst them in discussion. A Graveler on the far right of the mass of rocks gave an abrupt shout, causing the entire colony to quiet and face it. It threw half of its four arms into the air in a rousing speech before pointing to Anna and Elsa in the end. All eyes turned back to the two main Geodude and their Graveler assistant, who nodded to each other before catching the elder girl's eyes and shaking their heads at her in unison.

It was here Elsa's confidence wavered, and she almost reached for Zima's pokéball to ask for her to talk on their behalf. Instead, she clenched her fist before she could grab it, a gesture these Pokémon knew by instinct, and continued on.

"I ask only you heed this one request of mine, under no order from our father. We have nothing to offer but a battle each and we won't return for many months. Please reconsider."

Faint rumbling could be heard in the distance, growing louder with each lingering second. The sea of Rock Pokémon quickly parted to form a path as a huge rolling ball of dark brown made its way rapidly towards the field. The two Geodude speaking to Elsa quickly took charge and cried out, jumping a few centimeters to the left and curling into themselves perpendicular to one another while the Graveler standing behind them got out of the way. The same thing happened on the right side before both parties rolled a little closer to one another and was bridged together by a lone Graveler, whose position reminded Elsa of an umpire. The rolling ball drew closer, closing the distance quickly with impressive speed.

She yelped when a pair of arms encircled her waist and managed to lift her off the ground for a split second before the weight being misdirected made them fell backwards. Rolling over and sitting up, Elsa couldn't suppress the gasp when she saw Anna wincing as her sister rubbed a sore spot on her back.

"What was that for?!" she hissed, edging closer to her sister to check her wounds. Anna probably landed on a sharp rock. "Run the other way next time!"

Anna groaned and pushed her hands away. "I was saving your life! That thing was rolling full speed ahead!" she retorted, jabbing a finger to the offender behind the blonde's back. Slowly, Elsa turned her head to follow Anna's accusatory digit.

That 'thing' was a very large, calm bipedal turtle, his entire body covered in smoothed rock. Short arms and legs poked one by one out of the dirt-brown shell, and when all of him was complete the Geodude at his feet rolled away. He stared down at the girls with red eyes patiently waiting for them to regain composure, which didn't take very long. Elsa dusted herself off along with Anna, who reluctantly allowed her to pat the dirt off the back of her dark blue skirt, before bowing lightly to the creature. With little prompting, the redhead beside her did the same. The Golem returned the gesture.

Eyes never leaving her sister, Elsa pointed to the Megaton Pokémon with an open hand. "Anna, meet the oldest Golem in the land, Grand Pabbie. When our Papa was a young boy, Grand Pabbie was still as he is now, so the people of Arendelle gave him the name Grandfather, in hopes he will continue to live a long and fulfilled life overseeing the valley, and by extension, our people."

She stood there smiling like a fool when Anna suddenly became shy, tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear before giving Pabbie a little childlike wave, followed by a tiny hello; she giggled when Pabbie was the complete opposite—taking her sister's fingers in his gentle tripod grasp, he shook Anna's hand with a jovial laugh and said his own greeting neither girl could completely understand. No longer intimidated, Anna smiled her brightest for him, showing off pearly white teeth, and reclaiming her hand. Exchanging a glance with Elsa, the younger girl reached for Sandwich's pokéball inside her bag.

The Eevee leaped out of her ball midair, landing gracefully on her feet in front of Pabbie... for all of two seconds. She fell over to her side thanks to uneven soil. Both Pokémon and Trainer laughed it off, though, and the little kit was up again at once. Pabbie blinked at Sandwich, looking between Elsa and Anna, then back to the kit. Anna smirked at his confusion.

"I'm in the mood for a match!" she declared, folding her arms across her chest smugly, "Does anyone want to take us on?"

Elsa's breath caught. "Right now?" She planned this part of their journey to just be a meet-and-greet, but if Anna wanted it...

Anna nodded and turned towards her, unfolding her arms and cocking her head to the side. "Can't I?" she asked, pleading with her eyes for Elsa to agree. She furrowed her brow when the blonde only responded by nodding at the giant rock turtle.

Pabbie kept staring at Sandwich as though deep in thought. Everyone waited in anticipation for his answer. He looked up.

Anna visibly sucked in a breath.

Sandwich tilted her head at the Golem.

Very slowly, Pabbie gave a slightly odd, but very apparent, thumbs up. The breath Anna sucked in previously was audibly released.

"Thanks. You won't regret this... Grand Pabbie."

* * *

Now that she was one of the proctors overseeing the match, it was obvious to Elsa Anna's first official battle would be with a Geodude of the valley. Had Anna asked _her_ to be her first, she knew Sandwich didn't stand a chance against Zima for anything to be considered "official", or even remotely close. Any outcome of _that_ battle would leave her guilty. If she won, that meant Anna lost; if she lost, Anna would know she purposefully held herself back and take offense; and if the match were to end in a draw, Anna might become overconfident and that would set her back a few paces in the long run.

The lone first-stage Rock Pokémon standing in the stone-infested field was the perfect candidate. Behind it sat the silent Pabbie on a throne made up of his subordinates. Sandwich, eyeing the Geodude, stood proudly before her trainer, knees bent, ready to bring home her first victory. Elsa herself stood on the sidelines between the two parties, her sister's determined smirk evoking her own sense of pride and even a bit of nostalgia. She was just like her when Zima went head-to-head with her first Geo.

Elsa raised her right hand high. "Challenger Anna of Arendelle versus Grand Pabbie of the Valley! Each side will use only one Pokémon. The match will be concluded when one or both parties have either fainted or can no longer rise! Are you ready?!" Affirmative voices from both the Geodude and Eevee. Pabbie nodded.

"I was born ready!" Anna yelled, pumping her fists in a boxing motion. Elsa snorted.

"Let the battle..." She threw her arm downwards. "Begin!"

"Sandwich! Tackle attack, let's go!"

With a prolonged battle cry Sandwich worked her way up to a decent charge. Standing its ground, the Geodude's hands began to glow a faint red. It alternated between both left and right as it pushed repeatedly on one spot of earth, flinging mud past and into Sandwich's face, which halted the latter's offensive attack and she fell short almost directly in front of her opponent. Both sisters' eyes widened, Anna in shock and Elsa in momentary approval, as the Eevee growled and tried to shake the mud off her fur. Taking the chance at such close range, the Geodude tackled her using full force and sent the little quadruped creature flying back on her side.

Anna ran a hand through her hair. "You're okay, right, Sandwich?" She sighed in clear relief when Sandwich wasted no time in getting up. "Phew! I was worried we were done for the day. Atta girl, Sandwich! You're doing great!"

Something tugged Elsa's pant leg. A Geodude was vying for her attention. "Yes?" she asked of it, trying not to look towards the battle when Anna called another attack. It pointed to a Graveler standing too closely behind her for comfort, who was digging a little pit before curling into itself and settling into its self-made hole right below her rear. The Geodude patted her leg and said a few words with a smile on its gravelly face, causing Elsa to laugh nervously once she understood. "Erm, no thank you."

Not taking her answer, it pushed her onto its evolutionary form and took a seat next to their bags which were placed on the floor. Pabbie was too engrossed in the game to spare her a glance, but the blonde pretended he okayed the sitting on one of his subjects. She only placed the bare minimum of her weight on her makeshift seat though, even though she knew it could lift five times her weight should it desire. She looked up in time just to see Sandwich get the wind knocked out of her again, this time due to a rapidly rolling ball of rock.

Her sister was getting frustrated. She clenched her fists so tightly even from the distance she sat Elsa could tell the knuckles were white. Her encouragements to Sandwich were still cheery and energetic, but her voice began to falter as she called a bit too late for her Pokémon to dodge another sequential Rollout attack. Biting her lip to mull over her thoughts, Elsa stood up and cupped her hands to her mouth and turned to Anna.

"Come on, little sister, you're doing fine!" she called out, "This is your first battle so Sandwich is doing her absolute best for you! Show her you're worth her effort! Switch your tactics to suit her needs!" She knew the only thing on her sister's mind was to win her first battle the first time. But she couldn't go about it the way she was. If only Papa bothered to drill Anna even _once_ in a while like he did her. _If only_!

Anna knit her brow. "Her needs?" They turned back to the match. Sandwich was panting heavily but still standing. The Geodude was also breathing loudly, though not as severely. It readied itself for another Rollout when a look of realization dawned on Anna's face. "Sandwich!" she cried eagerly, practically bouncing up and down in her excitement. "I've got it! We're gonna win this one, you just wait! Take a few steps to the left!"

Sandwich barked questioningly, but did so anyway. The Geodude started again, picking up speed as it rolled itself towards its foe. Elsa's breath hitched when Anna failed to command her partner to dodge, but instead, stand her ground. Wait for it to get closer, she said. The elder girl began to fidget, twisting the hem of her blouse. What was Anna doing?

"Now jump!"

Sandwich flew. Her opponent rolled right into a large rock a little ways behind her, almost out of the battlefield. Gasping, Elsa dropped her hands. Sandwich landed gracefully on all four paws, and this time, she stayed up. Not to be deterred, the Geodude shook itself off and came at her again. She hurriedly turned around to face it.

"Meet 'em halfway!"

Without hesitation, Sandwich raced to do so.

Wait, what? What was her baby sister doing _now_? Elsa checked to the other side of Sandwich. There were no rocks for her opponent to crash into this time.

Anna was beaming. "Come to Mama, Sandwich!" she called, opening her arms wide to embrace her beloved Pokémon. The Eevee joyously obliged, leaping up and shooting herself straight into Anna's person, leaving the Geodude to bulldoze itself directly into Grand Pabbie's throne. While the duo celebrated their hard-earned victory with Anna twirling her Sandwich in the air, and Pabbie and his friends and family recovering from the unexpected hit they suffered, Elsa's jaw dropped for a moment.

"Well... that's one way to win..." she breathed. As she stepped forward to announce the match, rummaging sounds beside her caught her attention. "Hey!" she snapped, turning to see the Geodude who offered her a seat digging through Anna's bag. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Before she could pick it up and chuck it towards its friends for disrespecting her sister's belongings, it backed away with a Pokéball in its possession, which it then proceeded to throw to Anna. The toss fell short, but that was better than hitting her on the head, Elsa decided.

Sandwich noticed the pokéball before Anna did and wriggled free of her trainer's grasp to sniff it. Anna picked it up and sent Elsa a glance. The girls turned to Pabbie once again, who had recovered quickly, and nodded to the redhead. Raising a tri-clawed hand, every Graveler and Geodude backed away from the fainted Geodude who unintentionally knocked them over. Grand Pabbie called over to Anna, who readied herself for the catch.

"Go, Pokéball!" she shouted, tossing it overhand. The capsule opened once it hit its target, registering a red beam that engulfed the knocked-out Pokémon and pulled it inside the ball, after which it snapped shut. Everyone watched as the ball began to shake. Once.

Twice.

Three times.

Elsa smiled proudly when it stilled, immediately looking to Anna for her reaction. Eyes wide, jaw dropped, Anna couldn't believe what she saw.

"I did it..." she breathed, "I actually did it!"

"It goes without saying the challenger wo—oomph!" The blonde fell back into the Graveler as her sister tackled her in a bone-crushingly excited embrace, light blue long-sleeved arms squeezing her waist as tightly as she could.

"Thank you for taking me here, Elsa!" Anna squealed, "Thank you so much! You're the bestest!"

She could feel her ears burning red and a shiver making its way up her spine. But why? It was just an extremely grateful hug from her adorable little sister because she's still reeling from the adrenaline. If Papa didn't work her to the bone so often, maybe she'd be used to these by now. By the time it occurred to Elsa to reciprocate the hug, Anna was already pulling away and meeting with Sandwich to receive her new Geodude and thanking Pabbie for allowing the battle to take place on (essentially) his grounds.

She busied herself with gathering their things together, crouching low to check Anna's bag to see that nothing was missing (she doubted Rock Pokémon needed undies with Chimchar faces on them) before placing her bag over her shoulder. A frantic cry behind her caught her attention and she frowned, quickly getting to her feet. Whirling around she saw that Anna, Pabbie and everyone else had already heard it. Trouble was a rare occurrence in this valley, so anything out of the ordinary was quickly noted and taken care of even faster.

The source of the noise came from a little girl being herded by a horde of Geodude and a few Graveler. She wore a pretty yellow summer dress and looked no older than twelve, but Elsa knew better than to trust just her eyes. The girl, whose short black hair bobbed behind her as she stumbled about to avoid being bumped by the Pokémon steering her towards their Golem leader, ran to Anna with all her might and main, who caught her as soon as she crashed into her. The sight of it made Elsa clench her jaw, and she hurriedly marched over to them.

"Hey, you're okay," Anna said reassuringly to the girl, even though she clearly wasn't, doubled over and panting like an old woman. She sucked in massive gulps of air as Anna rubbed her back. "What's wrong? What are you doing all the way out here? Can you tell me your name?"

The girl gulped down one last breath before shaking her head. "I'm just a little lost..." she replied, her high-pitched voice an instant annoyance to Elsa's ears. "I-I don't know why these Pokémon brought me here..." she took another few breaths before continuing, politely pulling away from Anna's protective grip. Elsa seized the opportunity and quickly linked arms with her sister, who thankfully didn't notice the change in her demeanor. No, she was far too busy watching the child regain herself and... curtsy.

"My name is Snow White, and I'm from Esterwell. How do you do?"

The blonde's eyes narrowed. There was no mistaking it; Esterwell's very own Snow White right before her very eyes.

This next battle was _hers_.


	4. Snow and Ash

Leading the newly acquainted Snow White out of the valley and bidding Pabbie a final farewell, Elsa couldn't help wondering what would possess the young girl to venture so far out from her home. Certainly not because she was a trainer! If that _was_ the case, she was the most ill-prepared Elsa ever saw. No bag to carry her things, no sign of any Pokémon or pokéballs within that dress, she didn't even have a sunhat! Just what exactly was she trying to do before she got lost?

"So then, do you have a brother or something named Ice Cold?"

"Um, no, I'm afraid I don't." Snow laughed. "But that sounds really clever! What about you? Is Elsa your only sister?"

"Oh yeah, and she's the best! Cept, when we were younger, our dad stole her away and..."

Anna was too busy playing Twenty Questions with Snow White to even begin to notice the blonde silently lagging behind. Elsa thought about letting Zima stretch her legs, but Snow was already occupied cuddling Sandwich in her arms and being who she was, it wouldn't be wise to let her see Elsa's Pokémon.

"How old are you?"

"I just turned thirteen a few weeks ago."

"Wow, really? Happy belated birthday!"

"Thank you! When is yours?"

When they reached the next town it would suit them to buy a map. There wasn't enough time to have the entire land memorized, but Elsa knew there was at least one town separating Esterwell and Arendelle. The only question was which. Rapunzel lived in Corona but that was a long ways off, so that wasn't it. Olymount was in the mountains and Atlantica was too close to the sea... was it Rongyu Village? No, that was too out of the blue. Perhaps it was—

"Elsa?"

Tearing her eyes away from the path and looking up, Elsa calmly closed the rest of the distance that separated her from Anna, who called for her, and her new friend. The two gave pause in the middle of the road to wait for her, so she decided to ignore the arm her sister placed around Snow White's shoulders (also just noticing the red-bowed hairband against the latter's dark hair) and quirked an eyebrow at their silence. "Yes? What is it?"

Any patience she possessed quickly dwindled when the younger girls ignored her inquiry and shared a glance between them to cue laughter. Even little Sandwich joined in on their mirth.

Snow White batted her eyes innocently. "Oh, nothing!"

"Hmph. I see," Elsa sighed, brushing past the duo quickly. How dare they taunt her. Jokes at her expense were only acceptable to a certain degree by certain individuals, but she supposed it was nice Anna made a new friend anyway. Looking back, Elsa couldn't recall a single instance where Anna invited anyone over, or even talked about doing so over the table. It was always, 'I did this!' or 'Sandwich did that!' but never 'X and me did this!'

Well, all the times Elsa was present that was all Anna talked about, so who was she to say?

She wouldn't have to tolerate Snow White's squeaky voice much longer anyway, and thank Arceus for that. Esterwell did not seem too far a walk from the looks of it, if a child like her could wander off so easily it _must_ be close by. Behind her, Anna and Snow White resumed walking, with Anna encouraging her to run past her elder sister and lead the rest of the way to Lochglass Town. Elsa won't mind, she added, recalling Sandwich into her ball.

Elsa pursed her lips. Lochglass, got it.

When the child twirled past her, stick-thin arms spread out wide and dangerously close to hitting the blonde's last nerve, she also caught a glimpse of ginge in the corner of her eye. So she exhaled a slow breath to mollify her temper, lowered stiff shoulders and laced their fingers together without looking back. She enjoyed the sight of Snow White's silhouette growing smaller and smaller as the little girl ran ahead.

Anna immediately went for a squeeze. "You're upset because we laughed, aren't you?"

The corners of her mouth curved up way too fast for her liking. That brat placed no effort into hiding her pout with those words, pitch rising to reflect the voice of a child whose squeakiness wasn't grating. Elsa knew she could never stay mad at the face she _knew_ her sister was making in order to pull that off. "Is that her kind of humor, or did you encourage her?"

"... 's a little bit of both," Anna mumbled after a while.

They continued their journey in relative silence, only occasionally broken by Snow White's faraway laughter as she danced around waiting for the sisters to catch up. Elsa began to hum a tune she made up under her breath while Anna softly swung their arms back and forth to match the general beat of it. Turning her head slightly, Elsa didn't expect to see Anna with her head hung, turquoise eyes downcast. She was expecting for her to start rambling about something—small talk concerning the weather, her plans for when they reached the next town, even trivia she just learnt about her new companion—just to talk. Where did all her energy go?

"Hey," Elsa said in a hushed tone, taking the lead in swinging their arms in attempt to cheer Anna up, "What's wrong?"

The teenager shrugged. "Is this really okay? You being with me, I mean. What about your responsibilities to Dad's gym? Didn't you take an oath or something that keeps you there to accept people's challenges and stuff?" Her eyes widened, and she quickly added, her remaining hand shooting up and waving furiously in defense, "Er—wait! I mean, it's not that I don't want you with me! This is the most time we've spent together in forever and I'm hoping it stays like this, but then Snow happened, and I didn't want you to think I was neglecting you because she's here... ya know?"

Elsa nodded. Of course. "Don't worry, I'm not a Gym Leader yet; I'll take my oath when I get my license. Besides, Kristoff is very capable of holding down the fort while I'm with you. Mama would love him, and he her."

"I thought your license was for changing the layout and Pokémon thingy."

Pokémon thingy. Oh, Anna. "Well, yes, it is, but officials have to see if I'm qualified for the job first. If I pass, I can do what I want as long as I give everyone a fair shot at beating me."

Anna thought for a moment. "So... is it like, a written exam? It'd be really lame if you had to go all the way to turn in an application just for that. Or do you have to battle someone? Do you think I could watch? I'll cheer really loud for you on the sidelines!"

It was Elsa's turn to shrug. The handbook she studied from was a worn copy belonging to Papa, which stated the best course of action for Gym Trainers such as herself would be to head to the home of the current Champion, where the people in charge of running the Pokémon League held monthly meetings, and request an appeal. Some things _had_ to be outdated. "I... don't know. I believe it's a case-by-case type of thing. If I wanted to change my gym type to Water and there wasn't a pool or a large body of it nearby I'd be out of luck battle-wise, wouldn't I?" Anna nodded.

"Snow!" someone shouted. Both facing front once more, and realizing the young girl being called was only three feet away, they looked past her to see an orange-haired woman with an orange blob on her left shoulder jogging up to them. The child's face lit up when she evidently recognized it and turned around just in time for the woman—who was taller than her by a head—to embrace her with such ferocity Elsa wondered if her intention was death by asphyxiation.

The orange blob, a minute mouse Pokémon with large ears, a long black tail and antennae-like whiskers, hopped atop Snow White's head when she and her friend pulled away. Its owner, her hair actually a bit lighter shade of strawberry-blonde, heaved a relieved sigh before launching into the _heaviest_ light scolding Elsa ever heard after giving Snow White a once-over. Exchanging glances with Anna, Elsa managed to conceal her mirth. When the rant was finished and they made up, Snow White turned around to regard the two sisters and gestured to the woman beside her.

"Ella, of Lochglass," she stated simply, and pointed to the Pokémon on her head. "This is her newest friend, Gus. He's a Dedenne. We met last Tuesday." Turning to Ella, she quipped, "They're from Arendelle."

Ella's eyes widened and she gasped, a hand quickly reaching to clutch at her heart. "Arendelle?!" She took a small step closer, eyeing Elsa first, then Anna, before fixating on Elsa once more. A warm smile melted away the shock, and she nodded her greeting to them both. "It's a pleasure to finally meet the elusive sisters of the eighth gym. You must be Elsa,"—Elsa gave a subtle nod—"and Anna,"—Anna raised her chin and tightened her grip on Elsa's hand—"Why don't we go back to Snow's cottage and I'll prepare us all some tea?"

Snow White clapped her hands. "Oh, do come! I insist! Recently, I've been all alone, so company is always welcome!" Gus, Ella's Dedenne, squeaked joyously and threw a paw up in the air.

"We originally planned to return Snow White to her home in Esterwell," Elsa said to Ella, "But I suppose a little visit wouldn't hurt. Thanks to you, she isn't completely unaccompanied."

"I check up on her from time to time, but unfortunately not enough!" sighed the other blonde, shaking her head, "She worries me _constantly_, like today. Where did she run off to? Or did someone kidnap her? I don't know!"

For the first time in Snow's presence, Elsa smiled, hiding a laugh behind a hand. "I know that feeling, it's terrible! I suppose I'm lucky Anna and I are never too far apart." Dropping her sister's hand in favor of wrapping it around her waist and pulling her closer, the blonde turned to see if the younger girl had anything to add since she was being strangely quiet the entire conversation. What she got was a smile too wide to be considered true as Anna sloppily threw her arms around Elsa's shoulders and slurred a quick laugh. Ella chuckled politely.

"Come on, then, you two," she said, taking her young charge by the hand and leading the way off the dirt road and into the grass. "Her cottage is this way. If we hurry, we might be able to hear the siren song that enchants the forest every few days. I believe today is one of them."

Elsa began to follow with Anna in tow, pausing only when she was abruptly pulled back. She turned to regard her sister, whose grip held her in place, with a mix between a curious expression and an impatient one. "What?" Elsa asked, "Are you upset because _I_ laughed?"

"Do you remember when we were kids, and you came up with the idea that every time we get lost we'd yell 'Minun' and wait for a 'Plusle' to answer our calls? And we'd keep doing that until we found each other?" Elsa nodded. The younger girl scoffed. "Bet Ella never thought about doing _that_ with Snow!"

* * *

It turned out Snow White lived in the forest separating Lochglass from Esterwell, which also led to the next town over of Northpass. Plenty of small Pokémon surrounded the cottage, with a Deerling and its Sawsbuck mother being the largest. Pidgey and Pidove flocked the window sill. The ground was occupied by a group of Bunneary and Bunnelby, the aforementioned Deerling and Sawsbuck, and some Pachirisu. Anna gaped at the sight of them. Elsa nearly did as well. This was more Pokémon than either have ever seen clustered together.

When Anna could find her voice, she blurted as a trio of Rattata ran up to Ella, "Please tell me your definition of 'lonely', Snow."

Ella chuckled again, turning to face her as Snow White pushed open the door and went ahead. "She didn't say 'lonely', Anna, she said she was all alone."

There was another wry smile from her sister. "My mistake."

"Okay, come in! I just had to clean up a little bit!" called Snow White from inside.

"C'mon!" Anna whispered into her sister's ear.

"You go in first," Elsa whispered back, "She's _your_ friend." She smiled encouragingly at Anna's worried expression and found herself cupping her sister's cheek the way their mother used to when she was smaller and afraid. "I'll be there in a bit, okay?"

Anna's eyes darted to the hand pressed against her face before holding it in place with her shoulder and giving a little nuzzle. She nodded slightly to her and entered the house, trying her best not to bump into Ella on the way in. As Elsa debated whether or not to go on ahead or wait for Ella to step first, the darker blonde knelt down to the trio of Rattata and petted one on the head. It clearly enjoyed the attention.

"I'm afraid you three will have to stay outside for right now," she said to them. The middle Rattata, the one being petted, voiced what appeared to be protest. "Gus will be outside too, don't worry. I'm not giving him any special treatment, I promise. Now, run along." The purple mice nodded to her and to each other before scurrying away towards the other Pokémon.

"Are they yours?" Elsa asked, "Have you names for them as well, Ella?"

"Only Jacques, but his other friends, they come by for food from time to time," Ella shrugged, picking herself up and dusting her apron of any ground dirt. She shook her head slightly with a smile Elsa couldn't tell of what emotion she was hinting towards before settling her gaze back to the other blonde. "Until I met Snow, they were my only friends."

Elsa nodded. "Then you have also lived a solitary life? If you don't mind me saying so, you don't look the type who would ever be alone." Anna would certainly mind if she heard.

Ella's smile broadened. "Thank you. I guess you can say that. I'm alone, but not lonely."

Another similarity. Elsa found herself liking Ella more and more, and was curious to know more about her. Was this what Anna felt upon meeting Snow White? Ella extended an arm to her, head tilting towards the door and the inside of the cottage. Thanking her, Elsa stepped in first.

* * *

The inside of the cottage was most peculiar. There was seven of everything in each nook and cranny: seven chairs, seven cups with adjectives on them, seven hooks to hang coats and hats and seven beds beyond the stairs. She wondered if there were seven bathrooms out the back to keep up with the theme. She could see no indication of anything belonging to Snow White, however, who excitedly showed the sisters around her humble abode while Ella prepared and served their tea.

The dainty cups and saucers, and plates for which they were to place their cakes, thankfully had no names imprinted upon them, aside from the name 'Snow' painted in fancy green letters with thin vines and leaves on one side of a white teapot. Ella claimed a seat across Elsa, leaving the head of the table for Snow White if she so chose. She didn't, instead sticking like glue next to Ella in a manner reminding Elsa of a certain redheaded girl sitting next to her.

The little gathering was a pleasant experience. They exchanged the basics over tea and pie, learning ages and trivia, with some being vaguer than others. Elsa was careful to not give too much away about herself, in comparison to Anna who shared everything with little restraint. Say one sentence, she says ten more, which thankfully did not include embarrassing stories. Her sister wasn't that naïve... but there was always the possibility she might slip.

"My father was the leader of the Lochglass Gym," Ella offered as she cut up a piece of pie on her plate, "Snow's mother was of the Esterwell Gym, until her death when Snow was about three." Snow White nodded silently, her face solemn until Ella gave her the plate and handed her a fork.

"Our condolences," Elsa murmured. She left hers nearly untouched—two small bites taken out of sheer politeness—and thought about giving it to Anna if she wanted it. Gooseberry was never to her taste in any form. She poured herself another cup of tea, her second.

"It's fine," Snow White said after swallowing a bite, "We were really young when they passed, but they remain with us in spirit, so long as we do not succumb to despair and live life as they would've wanted."

Elsa was sure Snow's mother would have preferred her daughter fight to take back her gym than run away to a cabin in the woods. But alas, rebelling hardly seemed to be Snow White's first priority (neither was battling, training, strategizing, or basically anything having to do with being a Trainer, much less a Gym Trainer) and if she was content living with seven dwarfs in the midst of a forest surrounded by thousands of Pokémon, so be it. It was not her place to judge, she supposed.

Ella took a sip, and took the initiative in asking Anna her first question. Until Snow's answer moments ago, each pair stuck to conversing with their equal in the sibling duo dynamic. "So, Anna, are you a Gym Trainer too, like your sister?"

"No, I'm not; I'm completely ordinary." Anna answered quickly, not looking up from her task gathering the crumbs to one side of her plate. "But I'm really happy Elsa decided to come with me. She's my best friend, and clearly the smarter one, so she'll make sure I don't get killed out here, ya know?" The redhead squeaked when said sister coaxed the plate and fork from her hands and swapped it out for her own, gratefully digging into the dessert Elsa chose to ignore.

"Then that means you will be challenging the gyms then, including ours."

"She will." Elsa stated with a hint of pride. "But she's far from ready to challenge either."

Anna scoffed and twisted her body to face the blonde, indignantly placing a hand on her hip. "And why not? Today might be the first day of our journey, dear sister, but if we can get there I can do it! I did catch myself a pretty good Geodude back there in the Valley!"

"If that were the case, your 'journey' would be over in just under two weeks: one for every official battle against the League up to and including the Champion!" Elsa retorted, finishing off the last of her second cup of tea, and returning it to its saucer. "If this were a console game you'd be done within a day or two, a few hours at the absolute minimum. And let's not forget how you came about to capture that Geodude, or even beat it at all in the first place."

"So you helped me a little, big deal! I've still got one more Pokémon than you so _nyehh_!" Anna finished lamely, blowing a raspberry in Elsa's direction. A hand over her heart, Elsa gasped in mock offense. Across the table Ella and Snow White giggled at their display.

"I'd listen to Elsa if I were you, Anna," said Ella as she poured everyone another round after the show was over, "Madam Grimhilde and Lady Tremaine are really tough for beginners. If what you say is true and you only have two Pokémon on you—and please don't misinterpret this as anything other than my trying to help—I'm afraid you don't stand much of a chance under the circumstances."

Elsa frowned, and crossed her legs under the table. "And why are you not the leader of your gym, Ella? She might be your stepmother, but you are of age. It is your birthright as much as it is for me, Anna, and Snow." Saying just 'Snow' sounded strange. "She can't stop you from taking it back."

The young lady shook her head sadly. "She can. I don't exist to her, Elsa, not as her daughter. I have no rights in her eyes, just privilege she can reclaim on a whim." She turned to Snow White. "And dear Snow is only thirteen, still a minor by law. Her safe haven is this cottage, with her seven men, who do their best to protect her, and I occasionally. We do what we can, but our gyms are only ours in name."

"They have to die at some point," Anna mumbled into her cup.

"Anna!" Elsa hissed.

Reaching across the table, Ella took the elder girl's hand in hers. "No, she's right. Don't worry, we're biding our time, but not for that reason. Patience and faith is abundant between us. Our method might not be as quick as you'd like, but it is effective. The people of Esterwell already pity Snow, and no one knows of my situation in Lochglass, but I promise you it's all right."

The rest of teatime was spent in silence. The general consensus was to rest at Snow White's for the night and at Anna's insistence Elsa would proctor her first double battle the next day. She wanted to work with her Geodude and taking two on at once couldn't possibly be any tougher than one Gym Leader, she dared to say.

* * *

For the first time since leaving home, under the protection of night, Elsa released Zima from her ball. The Eevee hopped up on the little bed of one of the dwarves to sleep next to Elsa, but backed up a step or two when she saw Anna's arm draped over her owner's waist. She looked about for Sandwich, who lay sprawled on her back by Anna's feet, fast asleep and twitching ears. Cautiously, with a few hushed encouragements, the larger Eevee neared and curled up by the blonde's head, and closed her eyes, and purred cutely when Elsa ran a loving hand through her thick, brown coat. Elsa only sighed, eyes already closed in wait for sleep.

She thought about the day when brown fur would become a light blue, and the cry of her Eevee became the cry of a Glaceon, the first Ice-type she knew she wanted since childhood.

She wondered if Zima understood, if she knew or even remembered the reason behind her name clumsily explained to her long ago by a young trainer at the age of eight.

She wondered if Zima wanted to be something else, like an Umbreon of the night, or an Espeon of the day, or to never evolve at all if she could get away with it.

Anna mumbled and pushed closer to her, slow breaths tickling Elsa's neck while small breasts pressed against her back, completely ignoring the thin layer of fabric separating skin. A leg was thrown over her hip and Anna's other arm meandered its way underneath the side of her abdomen, causing the blonde to awkwardly shift her upper body trying not to crush it. It was a position she remembered being cornered into long ago, minus the boobs of course, however small they were. Just like old times, she supposed.

Looks like their first day together on the road turned out okay in the end.


End file.
